It is impossible to look at New York’s cultural landscape without seeing Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel’s fingerprints all over it. One of the nation’s most influential cultural leaders, with a distinguished career spanning the arts, civic engagement, historic preservation, public policy, and philanthropy. Throughout her lifetime of public service and civic leadership, Dr. Diamonstein-Spielvogel reflects a profound and unwavering conviction: that the arts are central to a healthy and vibrant democracy.

In honor of Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel and her extraordinary history, The Public Theater is proud to announce that the Anspacher Theater will be renamed the Barbaralee Theater, in recognition of generous support from the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation. This transformative gift will support extraordinary theater for generations to come, and reflects Barbaralee’s legacy as a visionary public servant, a defender of New York’s cultural sector and historic architecture, and a lifelong champion of America’s artistic institutions.

Barbaralee’s generosity to The Public strengthens not just our stages, but our mission to build a theater that truly belongs to everyone. More than 100 productions and celebrated artists have graced the Anspacher stage, and we are thrilled to continue the legacy of hundreds to come at the newly renamed Barbaralee Theater.

We look forward to the first production in the Barbaralee Theater coming this February, the world premiere production of Anna Ziegler’s ANTIGONE (THIS PLAY I READ IN HIGH SCHOOL)!